Aileene May Brandt

Aileene M. Brandt, 107, of Hiawassee, Georgia, passed away peacefully on Friday, January 2, 2026, at Chatuge Regional Nursing Home. She was born in Mesopotamia, OH on March 23, 1918.

She grew up on a farm doing all the household tasks and attending the one room school. She later rode the “kid wagon” pulled by horses to school and even played baseball on the boys’ team. School ended after ninth grade when she worked 10 hour days at a General Motors War Plant for 65 cents an hour. She was able to take a beauty course which gave her the opportunity to move to Florida.

She met John E. Brandt, Jr. in February and married him in April of 1962. He was tall, handsome, and a very loving husband. He had three kids, a cat named Tarzan, a mother who lived with him, and his former mother-in-law lived across the street. They retired to Hiawassee in 1978 after John’s two heart attacks.

Their new life on Frog Pond Road was filled with friends, volunteer activities, and church groups. In 1998, after John’s death, Aileene started another new life on her own. She focused on Sharp Memorial United Methodist Church groups, Stephen Ministry, got her GED, took a computer class, read her Bible every year, and lived alone until shortly before her death. She truly was a remarkable woman.

She was predeceased by her husband, John E. Brandt Jr., her son John E. Brandt III, and her granddaughter Cari Brandt Vincent.

Aileene is survived by her son, Carl Brandt of Richmond, Virginia, and her daughter, Kerstin Brandt Dreher of Clayton, Georgia. She also leaves behind four beloved grandchildren: Paul E. Dreher Jr. of Clayton, GA; Kristy A. Ledford of Franklin, NC; and Jill Brandt Howard of Tequesta, FL. Her great-grandchildren include Dustin and Kacey Dreher of Murfreesboro, TN; Brandt and Catherine Howard of Tequesta, FL; and Benjamin, John, and Jack Vincent of Gainesville, VA.

A graveside service will be held at Laurel Hills Cemetery on Route 69 toward Hayesville on Friday, January 9, at 2 p.m. Pastor Craig Hutto of Sharp Memorial United Methodist Church will officiate. Per her wishes, there will be no visitation or viewing.

Aileene’s life philosophy served her well: “Take a day at a time, and hope for the best.”